Improvement in cases for photographic cards



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

IVILLIAM MILLER, OF NEV YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO I-IIMSELF AND SAMUEL P.IVILLIAMS, JR., OF SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT IN CASES FOR PHOTOGRAPHIC CARDS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 33,507', dated October15, 186i.

To all whom, it ntf/,y concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM MILLER, of New York city, county, and State,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Album-Cases forPhotographic Cards; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full,clear, and exact description ot the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, making a part of this speciiication, in which-Figure l is a face view of the album-case in an open condition.. Fig. 2is a top view of the same closed. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section of thesame when the case is open so as to exhibit but two pictures, thesection being taken at the line x n?, Fig. l. Figet is an end view of aleaf, showing the manner of putting the same together. Fig. 5 is alongitudinal section ot' the same.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the severalfigures.

The object of this invention is to produce an album-case which can beopened out so as to exhibit a number of photographic cards at once, andcan be conveniently folded or shut up in a compact form to resemble abook; and it consists in the manner of forming the leaves of metallicplates, so as to be capable of holding and exhibiting two pictures, andalso in the manner of connecting the leaves together, half of the leavesconstituting the case to the front edge of one cover and the other halfto the other cover, which covers are hinged together at their backs andfastened in front by a single' clasp of the kind usually used for booksand daguerreotypecases.

To enable others skilled in the art to fully understand and construct myinvention, I will proceed to describe it.

A A A A.in Fig. l represent the leaves of the case, which are eachcomposed of two metal plates of skeleton form and designed to hold andexhibit two pictures placed therein back to back. The plates' to formthe leaves are first cut out a little larger than the size the case isdesired to Abe when nished. Thev are then stamped or cut out in thecenter in the form it is desired to have the border for the picture,which may be of oval,square,

or any suitable form. After this the notches care cut in the sides toreceive the hinges and a lip turned up on three sides of the plates. Theplates are now put together, as shown in 4 and 5, so as to have the lipsof oneI plate lap over those of the other, leaving a space between themfor the cards, in which condition the plates are soldered together.

The hinges a, which connect the leaves together, are formed of two shortsections of tubing soldered together with their axesparallel,whichtnbes,when inserted in the notches in the leaves, are fastened thereinby pins c passing through from the inside of the leaf.

The leaves constituting each half of the case are connected together andto the front edge of the covers by the hinges a, and the covers areconnected together by two long hinges b b, which admit of the leavesbeing folded between' them, thus requiring but a single back clasp tofasten the case in a closed form.

The covers and leaves are `made exactly alike in every respect, with theexception of the backs of the former being left entire, which may haveworked or stamped upon them any ornamental design or configuration, ormay be covered with leather, velvet, silk, or other suitable material tomore closely resemble the covers of a book.

The photographic cards are inserted at the top of the leaves with theirbacks together, showing a picture on both sides of each leaf.

In Fig. 2 the case is'represented in a closed form fastened witha'claspf.

I do not claim connecting a series of leaves together so that they canbe folded or shut up in the form a book or opened out to exhibit anumber ot` pictures, as I am aware that such has been done before; but

Vhat I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,isy l. Forming the leaves of the case of metallic plates by turning up alip on three sides of the same, lapping and soldering them t0- gether inthel manner described,so as to leave a space between them for theintroduction and exhibition of two pictures,in the manner described.

2. The manner of connecting the leaves tofastened together by a singleclasp f, as degethei by hinges a, formed of two short secscribed. tionsof tubing, substantially as described.

3. Attaching the backs ofihe covers by long hinges b b and the leaves tothe front Witnesses: in such a manner thatwhen the case is shut theleaves are folded therein and the whole W ILLTAM MILLER.

RICHARDSON GAWLEY, JAMES LAIRD.

